第30课（352字 2分钟）

Passage Thirty

（K9 level）

1. Matt Mason believes the future will be both exciting and practical.

2. Mason is particularly interested in how machines can take over tasks we dislike, like cleaning floors.

3. He introduces a built-in hard floor cleaning system that pushes dirt into one spot, where a vacuum collects it.

4. Afterward, the system sprays cleaner on the floor, and a robotic arm mops it up.

5. Kara, one of Mason’s colleagues, suggests that this might seem a little strange to some people.

6. She explains that you can program the system to run at 3 a.m., so it quietly wet-mops your floors while you sleep.

7. Bruce Beihoff, a kitchen technology expert at Whirlpool, believes that in the near future, robots will handle most boring household tasks, giving people more time to relax.

8. Beyond making life easier, he predicts that future kitchens will also be environmentally friendly.

9. He describes a new system that will recycle energy wasted in the kitchen to heat the entire home efficiently.

10. Daniel Lee, a market specialist, envisions the refrigerator becoming the center of the home.

11. He explains that fridges will feature touch screens that allow you to watch TV, browse the Internet, check emails, manage shopping lists, and even order groceries.

12. He points out that the refrigerator is often the first place people visit in the morning and the last place they check at night.

13. Jane Langmuir, a cooking equipment expert, questions why people of different heights must use countertops set at one standard height.

14. She notes that this standard was created over 50 years ago, based on the average height of women at that time.

15. Langmuir adds that her team has designed adjustable countertops that move to the perfect height with the press of a button.

16. Meanwhile, Ted Selker at MIT’s Counter Lab has invented a device called the Dish Maker, which produces dishes and bowls from plastic right in your home.

17. He explains that after each meal, the dishes can be melted back into plastic, ready to be reused.

生词表（New Words）

1.future 未来  

2. machines 机器  

3. system 系统 pushes 推 collects 收集

4. sprays 喷洒 robotic arm 机械臂  

5. colleagues 同事  

6. program 设定 quietly 悄悄地  

7. robots 机器人 relax 放松  

8. environmentally friendly 环保的  

9. recycle 回收 energy 能源  

10. center 中心  

11. touch screen 触摸屏 shopping list 购物清单  

12. check 查看 emails 电子邮件  

13. countertops 台面 standard 标准  

14. average 平均 height 高度  

15. adjustable 可调节的 designed 设计  

16. produce 制作 plastic 塑料  

17. reuse 再次使用

1. 马特·梅森认为，未来将会既令人兴奋又实用。

2. 梅森对机器如何接管我们不喜欢的任务，像是清洁地板，特别感兴趣。

3. 他介绍了一种内置的硬地板清洁系统，这个系统能将灰尘推到一个固定位置，然后用吸尘器收集起来。

4. 随后，系统会在地板上喷洒清洁剂，并用机械臂将其擦拭干净。

5. 梅森的同事卡拉表示，这种设计可能会让一些人觉得有点奇怪。

6. 她解释说，你可以设定系统在凌晨三点运行，这样它就能在你睡觉时悄悄地湿擦地板。

7. 布鲁斯·贝霍夫是惠而浦公司的厨房技术专家，他认为在不久的将来，机器人将处理大部分枯燥的家务，让人们有更多时间放松。

8. 除了让生活更轻松，他还预测未来的厨房将更加环保。

9. 他描述了一种新系统，这个系统会回收厨房中浪费的能源，从而高效地为整个房屋供暖。

10. 市场专家丹尼尔·李设想，冰箱将成为家庭的中心。

11. 他解释说，未来的冰箱将配备触摸屏，让你可以观看电视、上网、查看电子邮件、管理购物清单，甚至订购食品。

12. 他指出，冰箱通常是人们早晨去的第一个地方，也是晚上最后查看的地方。

13. 烹饪设备专家简·朗缪尔质疑，为什么不同身高的人必须使用高度统一的厨房台面。

14. 她指出，这个标准高度是50多年前根据当时女性的平均身高制定的。

15. 朗缪尔补充说，她的团队设计了一种可调节台面，只需按下按钮，就可以调节到合适的高度。

16. 与此同时，麻省理工学院的反台实验室的泰德·塞尔克发明了一种名为“制碟机”的设备，可以在家中用塑料制作盘子和碗。

17. 他解释说，每顿饭后，这些盘子都可以被融化回塑料，随时准备再次使用。